*A project ~~~~Revising the Fall of Gondolin*

[Voronwe]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
Posts: 240</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: A project ? - revising the Fall of Gondolin

The problem, though, is that if Tolkien had ever finished the later Tuor he would almost certainly have taken the mechanical dragons out. In fact, he'd probably have written the Fall of Gondolin again from scratch without even referring to the lost tale. It's just such a shame he never completed 'Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin'.

But I suppose we have to work with what we have. And what we've got is the 'later Tuor' from UT, the brief account in the Quenta (the basis for the 77 chapter) and the Fall of Gondolin itself, the first Lost Tale Tolkien ever wrote.

If we're going to use the Later Tuor at all, we'll have a significant style change when it ends whatever we choose to put after it, without resorting to creative writing. I think we have three options if we want to use only existing texts - either a very short account similar to the one given in 77, or the 'later Tuor' with the modified FoG taking up where it leaves off, or else the 'later Tuor' followed by a rather disappointingly brief account of the city's fall.

I think it would be interesting to at least attempt to revise the Fall of Gondolin text to bring it into line with Tolkien's later ideas. I'm not even sure if it's possible, but someone should perhaps give it a shot.


-Voronwë
<font size="2">Down the sunlit breath of Day's fiery death
He sped from Westerland.</p>